In the use of machines, such as screw machines, the bar of stock which is fed through a feed tube to the machine to be worked upon by various tools of the machine has a bushing at the entrance end of the feed tube spaced a considerable distance from the feed fingers which grip the stock as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,315. This results in a whipping of stock of a length between the guide and feed fingers at the rear end of the bar of stock, in some cases especially of soft metal stock causes damage which is objectionable.